Coincidence or fate?!

So do you believe it fate or just coincidences which can happen?

Here's what happened on Thursday.....

Was traveling up to Durham (the far north of England for those who don't know), for the day for a work meeting so got up nice and early, leaving home at 6am for taxi ride to the mainline station. Got up to London and schlepped across to Kings Cross getting there 0730, 30mins before my train was due to depart at 8am..... Decided to see if I could wing it and get into the first class lounge... well I had first class tickets, albeit cheapo fares so unlikely to be let in - but you if you don't ask you don't get right?!

So the conversation ensued with the lovely old security man;
"Can I come in, I have first class tickets"
"Can I see them"
"Of course - here you go"
"I'm very sorry young lady" (luv 'im as my friend from Devon would say - how very sweet calling me young) "but you can't use these tickets for the lounge"
"Oh"
"I'm really sorry it's just the people who pay a full first class fare get a bit sensitive, but there is another lounge you can use"
"Do they have a toilet in, or do I have to use the public conveniences?"
"Well really you should use the public ones, but if you promise to be quick" " you can use the ones here"

Humm.. so I did blag my way in but only to use the facilities!! Still saved me a whole 20p and they were far cleaner ;o)... and I am getting to this coincidence thing I promise.

So off I trotted (not literally I hasten to add) and I found a ladies purse in the ablutions. Not in the bowl or anything yuk like that I hasten to add, but on the side by the sink. Hummmm so being the upstanding citizen that I am (thanks Mum and Dad) I wanted to make sure I did the correct thing by whomever had left it. So I first looked in to see if there was any photo id... didn't rummage or anything but immediately saw it was pretty full, cash, credit cards etc but no immediate ID. So hastily closed it (feeling guilty for having even looked in it!) and proceeded to leave. There was one lady in the lounge so I asked her if it was her purse - no. So went back out and handed into the the nice gentleman doing security who'd let me in.

... and that's where you'd normally expect this story to end...

So after that, met up with my work colleague, found which platform our train was going from and boarded. Coach L, seat 33.......... So on we got and sat in our reserved seats; a simple two seater with the seats opposite, perfect! Until we realised we were sitting in the seat numbers for our return journey - should have been in Coach L, 16.... so off we went, found the new seats and found them to be two next to each other opposite two guys - not so good for business conflab. Hummm. So my work colleague looked to see if there were another 2 seats, not reserved for travel, free in the first class coaches.... Yep, back behind us in Coach M. So we made camp there and settled down for the 3.5hr journey.

About 30mins into the journey a lady sitting on the 4 seater to my left started looking for something, the lady next to her helping her out. They searched the table, under the table, got passengers to move and searched under their feet. I don't know what got me to say anything, so I asked the helper what they were looking for. Yep - you guess it a purse. So I asked the little old lady who had lost the purse if it was brown, so big, with a golden clasp... and you never guess what it was - and this was the purse I had found back at the station!

So what a bizarre coincidence. There are tens of trains leaving Kings Cross between 7:30 and 8:00am, there must have been about 10 carriages on our train and I shouldn't have even been in the carriage I was in, let alone sitting next to this lady! Was this fate or just a coincidence? Bizarre either way! Suffice to say the lady was very pleased when the guard confirmed it was her purse and it was waiting for her back at the station so she could pick it up on her way home that evening! How things work out :o)

What else I hear you cry - what of your training....

....Hummm... maybe more on that later - suffice to say I've decided to have a weekend off next weekend and stay at home and not do the half Mary - have a revised schedule for the October one which I feel more comfortable doing. I think if I were to attempt the one next Sunday I'd be able to finish, but would risk injury (as I'm stubborn once I start there's no way I wouldn't complete it), and I'm simply not up to 2.5hrs run or run/ walk.

OK - that's it for now - there's some people state side racing today which I'd just like to say - KEEP GOING! As I think you're all still racing as I'm blogging and it's nearly time for my bed!

More tomorrow/ Tuesday :O)

OH YES - how could I forget ... WELL DONE Angel..leeky for your first Oly distance today! Paulo and I had a blast shouting "encouragement" and the moment when we surprised you on the run by jumping out of the bushes is still making me chuckle!! Well done!

PS: Just seen Lisa was a finisher in her half-mary - WOOHOO! Well done Lisa! YOU ROCK!! (that is how you Americans say it isn't it?!) :o) and achieving you "A" aim on the way. Really well done!

Now watching out for Tri-Shannon who's on her Ironman dream race today at Wisconsin!